Amazon’s layoff plan takes a U-turn: Former employees are being recruited again
Amazon is reaching out to a few of the laid-off employees, offering them an opportunity to return to the company.
- Sep 25, 2026,
- Updated Sep 25, 2026 11:51 AM IST
The tech job market is currently facing several challenges amid restructuring and the AI boom. While tech giants, including Meta, Oracle, and Google, are reducing their workforces to streamline operations, Amazon is reportedly rehiring laid-off employees. According to a Business Insider report, Amazon has asked some of its laid-off employees in AI and machine learning fields for new role opportunities.
Must read: Oracle layoffs: Workers over 40 bear the brunt of job cuts in cloud division
Amazon’s rehiring plans and policies
Amid restructuring plans, Amazon laid off over 30,000 employees in multiple rounds of layoffs throughout the year. Now, its reaching out to a few laid-off employees, offering them an opportunity to return to the company. The outreach is said to be part of an initiative called “Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative,” led by AWS VP Swami Sivasubramanian.
“A lot has changed since you were here, and there’s some really compelling work happening across AI/ML right now,” the email reads.” On the other hand, an AWS Finance recruiter contacted a former employee and offered a shorter route toward receiving a new job offer.
Business Insider quoted Haley Silva, an Amazon spokesperson, who said “boomerang hiring” is not a new initiative, and that it has been created specifically because of its recent layoffs or AI hiring push. She further revealed that Amazon has a longstanding, companywide practice of hiring former employees back, and people who were laid off can also be eligible to return.
Must read: Amazon to invest $3 billion to expand quick commerce in India by 2030
However, Amazon says it is recruiting for existing open positions, rather than specifically hunting for people who left because of the company's return-to-office (RTO) policy.
“We're always interested in connecting with talented people — both new candidates and former Amazonians for open roles,” Silva said. “Rehiring former employees is a normal, longstanding part of how we recruit, and our rehire and interview practices are consistent across the company.”
This showcases how tech giants are actively reallocating resources into high-growth areas like machine learning infrastructure, custom silicon development, and enterprise cloud AI services. Former employees receiving these "boomerang" outreach emails are getting a chance to join the company again amid a challenging job market.
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The tech job market is currently facing several challenges amid restructuring and the AI boom. While tech giants, including Meta, Oracle, and Google, are reducing their workforces to streamline operations, Amazon is reportedly rehiring laid-off employees. According to a Business Insider report, Amazon has asked some of its laid-off employees in AI and machine learning fields for new role opportunities.
Must read: Oracle layoffs: Workers over 40 bear the brunt of job cuts in cloud division
Amazon’s rehiring plans and policies
Amid restructuring plans, Amazon laid off over 30,000 employees in multiple rounds of layoffs throughout the year. Now, its reaching out to a few laid-off employees, offering them an opportunity to return to the company. The outreach is said to be part of an initiative called “Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative,” led by AWS VP Swami Sivasubramanian.
“A lot has changed since you were here, and there’s some really compelling work happening across AI/ML right now,” the email reads.” On the other hand, an AWS Finance recruiter contacted a former employee and offered a shorter route toward receiving a new job offer.
Business Insider quoted Haley Silva, an Amazon spokesperson, who said “boomerang hiring” is not a new initiative, and that it has been created specifically because of its recent layoffs or AI hiring push. She further revealed that Amazon has a longstanding, companywide practice of hiring former employees back, and people who were laid off can also be eligible to return.
Must read: Amazon to invest $3 billion to expand quick commerce in India by 2030
However, Amazon says it is recruiting for existing open positions, rather than specifically hunting for people who left because of the company's return-to-office (RTO) policy.
“We're always interested in connecting with talented people — both new candidates and former Amazonians for open roles,” Silva said. “Rehiring former employees is a normal, longstanding part of how we recruit, and our rehire and interview practices are consistent across the company.”
This showcases how tech giants are actively reallocating resources into high-growth areas like machine learning infrastructure, custom silicon development, and enterprise cloud AI services. Former employees receiving these "boomerang" outreach emails are getting a chance to join the company again amid a challenging job market.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine